First And Only Supermoon Of 2017 Is Coming; Here's How To See It

A Supermoon is not as rare as a Solar Eclipse, but it is just as phenomenal and breathtaking!

In 2016, the Supermoon made an appearance in October, November, and December. The Nov. 14 moon, which passed really close to Earth, made history as the Largest Supermoon in a Generation. The last time it was that close to us was on January 28, 1948. The next time it will come close is in 2034.

In 2017 we were blessed with a Solar Eclipse and a Harvest Moon, but not as many Supermoons or Full Cold Moons. In fact, the first and only Supermoon of the year will occur on Sunday, December 3rd.

Technically, this will be the fourth one of the year, but it’s the only visible one, according to National Geographic.

What is a Supermoon?

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A moon is considered "super" when it is 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than when it is at its further point in orbit. Its scientific name is perigee syzygy.

"Perigee refers to the moon being at its closest distance to the Earth, and syzygy refers to the alignment of multiple bodies — the moon, Earth, and sun need to be aligned for us to see a full moon," Arizona University professor Gurtina Besla said to NPR. "So it translates to the closest separation between the moon and Earth when the Earth, moon, and sun are aligned."

How to see the 2017 Supermoon?

The moon will be close to the Earth's horizon at sunset on Dec. 3 and sunrise on Dec. 4., as noted by NPR.

However, the best time to see this year's Supermoon in the U.S., according to Besla, is at 3:45 a.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 4. The Virtual Telescope Project will also share a video feed.

Stargazers won't need any special glasses or binoculars to view this bright phenomenon. Perhaps only some coffee to stay awake! Oh! and don't worry if you miss it. NASA reported that two more supermoons will come out to play in 2018 sometime in January and February.